One of the world’s top beach soccer referees, Nigeria’s Jelili Ogunmuyiwa has been appointed again by FIFA for the World Beach Soccer tournament scheduled for Dubai later this year.
The 30 year old who is presently running an HND programme in economics and cooperative management at the Federal Cooperative College, Eleyele Ibadan, became a FIFA beach soccer referee in January 2008.
It is to his credit that he officiated at the world beach soccer qualifier in Durban in March, 2008. He then moved over to the world tourney in Marseille same year. This year he was again at the world cup qualifier in Durban and did well enough to earn a call up for the world Cup in Dubai.
A premier league referee since 2006, Jelili has handled 20 top league matches including this year’s league opener in Aba between Enyimba and Lobi Stars that ended in a draw.
Nigeria was at the FIFA World Beach Soccer Tourney in 2006 aand2007, missed out in 2008 to Senegal and Cameroun, and have returned in 2009 as Africa champions.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
NO HEAD-TO-HEAD RULE FOR EAGLES. November 14 Ties Are Winner Takes All Affair
The dreaded head-to-head rule which ultimately denied Nigeria a place at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany will not apply in Nigeria’s hunt for a ticket to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
There will be no complications in deciding which country between Nigeria and Tunisia qualifies for South Africa 2010, as all Shuaibu Amodu’s team need do is get a win over the Harambee stars of Kenya on November 14 while they hope Tunisia slips in their fixture against Mozambique, by either losing or getting a draw.
If the above scenario is achieved, that is Nigeria winning and Tunisia drawing, both countries will tie on 12 points with Nigeria scaling through on goals difference.
As it is now, both Nigeria and Tunisia have the same goal-difference and a win for Nigeria with Tunisia not winning will automatically lift Nigeria above the North Africans in goals difference which is the first option FIFA is considering in determining the group winners in case of tie as against the head-to-head rule used four years ago.
In the battle for Germany 2006 both Nigeria and Angola tied on points with the Eagles also having a better goals difference. But the almighty head-to-head rule, which was FIFA’s first option then handed the ticket to the Angolans.
The following are the options FIFA will apply in order of importance in case of a tie
1. The goal difference in all group matches
2. The greatest number of goals scored in all group matches
In case a tie still exists between two (2) or three(3) teams the following will be considered:
1. The greatest number of points obtained between the teams concerned
2. The goal difference between the teams concerned
3. The greatest number of goals scored between the teams concerned.
Furthermore, in the case of a tie still persisting a draw will be made by the Organising Committeee that could be replaced by a play-off match with possible extra time and penalty kicks.
The play-off is FIFA’s last resort to determine the team to qualify for the World Cup when other means are intricately locked.
Instructively, the regulations for determining the qualified countries for both the FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations are no identical.
The 2010 Nations Cup finalists will be decided by:
1. Greatest number of points during their direct encounters
2. Highest goal difference during their direct encounters
3. Greater number of goals scored during their direct encounters
4. Greater number of away goals scored in their direct encounters.
The overall goal difference for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations only applied when a perfect tie appears during the direct encounters or when more than two (2) teams possess the same number of points.
Cameroun, Gabon, Tunisia, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Angola have confirmed their places at the Nations Cup while six more countries will join them when the qualifiers round off in November.
There will be no complications in deciding which country between Nigeria and Tunisia qualifies for South Africa 2010, as all Shuaibu Amodu’s team need do is get a win over the Harambee stars of Kenya on November 14 while they hope Tunisia slips in their fixture against Mozambique, by either losing or getting a draw.
If the above scenario is achieved, that is Nigeria winning and Tunisia drawing, both countries will tie on 12 points with Nigeria scaling through on goals difference.
As it is now, both Nigeria and Tunisia have the same goal-difference and a win for Nigeria with Tunisia not winning will automatically lift Nigeria above the North Africans in goals difference which is the first option FIFA is considering in determining the group winners in case of tie as against the head-to-head rule used four years ago.
In the battle for Germany 2006 both Nigeria and Angola tied on points with the Eagles also having a better goals difference. But the almighty head-to-head rule, which was FIFA’s first option then handed the ticket to the Angolans.
The following are the options FIFA will apply in order of importance in case of a tie
1. The goal difference in all group matches
2. The greatest number of goals scored in all group matches
In case a tie still exists between two (2) or three(3) teams the following will be considered:
1. The greatest number of points obtained between the teams concerned
2. The goal difference between the teams concerned
3. The greatest number of goals scored between the teams concerned.
Furthermore, in the case of a tie still persisting a draw will be made by the Organising Committeee that could be replaced by a play-off match with possible extra time and penalty kicks.
The play-off is FIFA’s last resort to determine the team to qualify for the World Cup when other means are intricately locked.
Instructively, the regulations for determining the qualified countries for both the FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations are no identical.
The 2010 Nations Cup finalists will be decided by:
1. Greatest number of points during their direct encounters
2. Highest goal difference during their direct encounters
3. Greater number of goals scored during their direct encounters
4. Greater number of away goals scored in their direct encounters.
The overall goal difference for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations only applied when a perfect tie appears during the direct encounters or when more than two (2) teams possess the same number of points.
Cameroun, Gabon, Tunisia, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Angola have confirmed their places at the Nations Cup while six more countries will join them when the qualifiers round off in November.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Obiora Nwankwo Is Hot Cake. Agents Battle Over F/Eagles Star
Despite the seeming poor run of the Flying Eagles at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt, midfield ace, Obiora Nwankwo looks to be catching the attention with a flurry of agents and European club scouts on his heels.
The interest in the light-skinned player has even led to a face-off between two Nigerian licensed agents.
Nwankwo, whose registration is owned by ECO Football Club of Lagos, but featured for Nigerian Premier League side, Wikki Tourist, in the 2008/2009 season in Nigeria on loan, had started out Egypt 2009 in central defence for the Eagles before coach Samson Siasia moved him into midfield in the same game against Venezuela.
Complete Sports now have it on good authority that not a few clubs in Europe have taken more than a passing interest in his silky ball-playing skills, so much so that Italy based Nigerian agent, Sam Udeagbulam, has been accused of trying to poach the boy.
Peter Ejiasi, another Nigerian agent, who is based in Spain told Complete Sports:
“I’m the official agent of Obiora Nwankwo and I want to tell you that any other person that claims to represent the boy is a blatant liar.
“I can’t discuss about clubs interested in a player in the middle of a competition but what I have to say is that it is absolutely wrong for an agent that says he is licensed to start talking to a player that he does not have a contract with after that player had told him that he has an agent.
“That is what this Sam guy did and for me, doing such on the eve of an important match for the team is bad because you are going to distract the player.
“If he or any other agent for that matter, has something for the boy he can come to me and we can discuss, but the player should not be distracted with talk about interest from clubs until after the competition.”
Udeagbulam, who was said to have been introduced to the player by one of the coaches of the team, could not be reached for his own side of the story as he did not pick when Complete Sports placed a call to his mobile phone.
The interest in the light-skinned player has even led to a face-off between two Nigerian licensed agents.
Nwankwo, whose registration is owned by ECO Football Club of Lagos, but featured for Nigerian Premier League side, Wikki Tourist, in the 2008/2009 season in Nigeria on loan, had started out Egypt 2009 in central defence for the Eagles before coach Samson Siasia moved him into midfield in the same game against Venezuela.
Complete Sports now have it on good authority that not a few clubs in Europe have taken more than a passing interest in his silky ball-playing skills, so much so that Italy based Nigerian agent, Sam Udeagbulam, has been accused of trying to poach the boy.
Peter Ejiasi, another Nigerian agent, who is based in Spain told Complete Sports:
“I’m the official agent of Obiora Nwankwo and I want to tell you that any other person that claims to represent the boy is a blatant liar.
“I can’t discuss about clubs interested in a player in the middle of a competition but what I have to say is that it is absolutely wrong for an agent that says he is licensed to start talking to a player that he does not have a contract with after that player had told him that he has an agent.
“That is what this Sam guy did and for me, doing such on the eve of an important match for the team is bad because you are going to distract the player.
“If he or any other agent for that matter, has something for the boy he can come to me and we can discuss, but the player should not be distracted with talk about interest from clubs until after the competition.”
Udeagbulam, who was said to have been introduced to the player by one of the coaches of the team, could not be reached for his own side of the story as he did not pick when Complete Sports placed a call to his mobile phone.
MY F/EAGLES STARS ARE BARELY AVERAGE!
Flying Eagles coach Samson Siasia has declared that the players he paraded as the best Nigeria can offer at the U-20 level are barely average players who,as they are now cannot make it to the Super Eagles.
The coach said they need to do a lot of work before being able to challenge for places in the senior national team – even if they are struggling to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
“I think it’s going to be very difficult because you need players who are tactically very sound,” he said.
“If they’re asked to do things, they have to carry out instructions on the field of play and you can see from our play that we don’t do that.
“I think it’s going to be a long way for them to get into the Super Eagles.”
The coach is also at a loss how ‘his barely average players gave up the lead twice and eventually lost to Germany in a match they dominated both in terms of possession and chances created.
‘It’s hard. We scored twice for the first time in the tournament but it still wasn’t enough. At the end we were a man up but we were still having problems. When you lead twice, you need to preserve that lead, and we didn’t do that. My team were too disorganized to keep their shape’,said Siasia.
The Bayelsa state born tactician
insists the whole team must take responsibility for the loss to 10-man Germany which ensured their exit from the championships.
Siasia blasted his players for failing to follow instructions in the game.
“For the first time we scored two goals after playing four games, but now we’ve found out we can’t defend,” he said.
“All I did was to tell them to keep possession.
“You can’t keep kicking long balls when you only have one man up.
“But they didn’t even listen. You keep shouting all day – but if the players don’t listen to you, this is what actually happens.”
Siasia lead the Flying Eagles to second place in this event four years ago in the Netherlands, and accepted his share of the responsibility for what has been a disappointing performance in Egypt.
“I’m not going to blame players because I picked the players, so all the blame is on me, because if you have players who are not playing to instruction this is how you lose games,” he said.
He was also severely critical of the refereeing at the tournament – saying Germany’s winner in Suez sprang from a foul.
“The referee was five yards away [from the challenge] – and that was a foul, that was a foul,” he complained.
“They kicked him and took the ball and I don’t know why the referee allowed a chance like this – I think Fifa should do something about the referees too.
“Even though it’s the players fault, the referee has a lot to do about what actually happened too.”
The coach said they need to do a lot of work before being able to challenge for places in the senior national team – even if they are struggling to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
“I think it’s going to be very difficult because you need players who are tactically very sound,” he said.
“If they’re asked to do things, they have to carry out instructions on the field of play and you can see from our play that we don’t do that.
“I think it’s going to be a long way for them to get into the Super Eagles.”
The coach is also at a loss how ‘his barely average players gave up the lead twice and eventually lost to Germany in a match they dominated both in terms of possession and chances created.
‘It’s hard. We scored twice for the first time in the tournament but it still wasn’t enough. At the end we were a man up but we were still having problems. When you lead twice, you need to preserve that lead, and we didn’t do that. My team were too disorganized to keep their shape’,said Siasia.
The Bayelsa state born tactician
insists the whole team must take responsibility for the loss to 10-man Germany which ensured their exit from the championships.
Siasia blasted his players for failing to follow instructions in the game.
“For the first time we scored two goals after playing four games, but now we’ve found out we can’t defend,” he said.
“All I did was to tell them to keep possession.
“You can’t keep kicking long balls when you only have one man up.
“But they didn’t even listen. You keep shouting all day – but if the players don’t listen to you, this is what actually happens.”
Siasia lead the Flying Eagles to second place in this event four years ago in the Netherlands, and accepted his share of the responsibility for what has been a disappointing performance in Egypt.
“I’m not going to blame players because I picked the players, so all the blame is on me, because if you have players who are not playing to instruction this is how you lose games,” he said.
He was also severely critical of the refereeing at the tournament – saying Germany’s winner in Suez sprang from a foul.
“The referee was five yards away [from the challenge] – and that was a foul, that was a foul,” he complained.
“They kicked him and took the ball and I don’t know why the referee allowed a chance like this – I think Fifa should do something about the referees too.
“Even though it’s the players fault, the referee has a lot to do about what actually happened too.”
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